Tuesday, December 28th, was a sunny holiday afternoon in Anguilla, which saw the launch of “De Copper Hole”, a collection of Anguillian folk-stories written by Radio Anguilla’s former Chief Information Officer, Joseph Ivor Hodge. Several local media personnel, literary personalities, and cultural enthusiasts were on hand to witness the release — and to obtain an autographed copy of the intriguing work of cultural significance from the hand of Mr. Hodge himself, who is simply known as Ivor.
The event took place at The Hodges Yard in The Farrington. It was chaired by Radio Anguilla’s Director, Farrah Banks. It began with a prelude serenade performed by the Roots Binghi Band which, in fact, meticulously played the National song on their “roots” drums.
Ivor’s brother, Lindon, then offered a prayer of thanksgiving for the kind of gifting that was bestowed upon Ivor, over the years, resulting in the culmination of this resourceful book that depicts the cultural experiences of Anguilla’s forebears. He prayed that such experiences would be an inspiration to the readers. The book’s editor, Mrs. Maria Webster, Ivor’s sister, gave an overview of “De Copper Hole”, stating in part:
“In the book, ‘De Copper Hole’, the author lays out a sumptuous feast for the reader, served on the platter of life in Anguilla prior to the 1960s and onwards. He vividly brings to life the norms and customs of that era, shedding light on more than just a glimpse of the life that the elders may have longed to escape, and the life that those of us, caught midway in time, may long to embrace. The younger generation will be granted the opportunity to share in the experiences of yesteryear by drinking from the author’s literary details that no other local historical account affords to date.
“A backward look takes the reader to the time when the educating of the young was the shared responsibility of parents, extended family and the community. ‘Tantee was your aunt with, or without, a blood connection. Out-of-hand youngsters could get ‘what Padi gave the drum’ from ‘Tantee’ or ‘Mammie’— t’was no problem.
“It was a time when strong moral codes were drilled into the young, even though there seemed to be a disconnect when it came to older persons — and that was not up for debate. Don’t say I say that, but ask the author of “De Copper Hole”. Or, better yet, ask Blakie in the story entitled ‘Missing’. Or, you can even ask the school boy, Jack, in the story ‘Put Mi Back’.
“The depiction of community life fills us with nostalgia. Life, though hard, was simple back then. The author makes a big deal about the way funerals were conducted — the prominent site at the Tamarind Tree, and the part that spot played in community life, among other noteworthy aspects. And, the story-telling on the front step at night — hmmm… ‘Once upon a time’ never sounded sweeter.”
The overview continued: “The author also made frequent use of the superstitions of the day. These are intricately woven throughout the stories. Some goose-bumps and swelling heads are sure to appear as the mounting suspense rivets you to the spot — like the time when Roy fell down ‘brag-ga-daps’ out of the Tamarind Tree. Ayah looker wuk. ‘De Copper Hole is resplendent with humour. The reader will find a lot to laugh about in just about every story…But the reader must not miss the serious intention of the author to create a work that is educational, showcasing the subtle use of figures of speech, highlighting respect, empathy, and sympathy when life’s tragedies impact our people.”
Other persons paying homage to the release of Ivor’s magnificent master-piece included his brother, the Honorable Minister, Kenneth Hodge, who is also the publisher. His presentation paid tribute to their father, Mr. Joseph N. Hodge, whose regimented life of discipline and literary guidance influenced his sons to a vast degree.
The book’s launch also featured special tribute of appreciation to Ivor’s mother, the late Mrs. Donice Hodge, popularly known as Teacher Donice. She passed away while Ivor, her firstborn, was away at college. The tribute to her memory was presented by her cousin and close friend, Maria Webster, who highlighted Teacher Donice’s love for books and reading: “No doubt about it. She loved books. She treasured them,” Maria reflected.
“She was widely read and books were always around her. She loved our culture and paid keen attention to the stories handed down to her by her forbears. She would have been enormously proud to see the seeds she sowed blossom into a rich harvest in the form of ‘De Copper Hole’ written by her son, Joseph Ivor Hodge.”
Persons present, and those viewing via Lloyds Live, were moved to tears by Mr. David Carty’s Selective Book Review presentation of “Sunrise” — a story that captures an old man’s struggle with a terminal illness with an unexpected ending. Dr. Oluwakemi Linda Banks also moved the audience with her overview of the book and her reading of the story “Silk Cotton Tree”.
The launch also featured cultural presentations of melodious singing and dancing by the Mayoumba Folkloric Theatre.
The Copper Hole is actually a small crater carved in the jagged sea-rocks of the High Cliff shoreline, known as The Coppers, not too far from Ivor’s residence. This crater, or sink hole, resulted from the sea’s erosion of softer underlying sedimentary rock, over many years, and the ultimate drop of the upper rock layer onto the shallow seabed below. If it were animated, the immortal hole would “know” the stories depicted from Anguilla’s cultural roots.
In speaking with Ivor, The Anguillian asked him what was the inspiration behind writing “De Copper Hole”. He responded: “The real inspiration behind the writing of ‘De Copper Hole’ was that there is a lack of written material, and thus a lack of knowledge about the kind of culture that our forebears were accustomed to. Persons would refer to aspects of these old cultural norms, once in a while, but there is no documentation that supports this era of our culture.”
He continued: “We keep saying that we don’t teach culture as a subject in the local schools. But if we do not have the material to teach it from, then any effort to teach culture would be futile. My effort, therefore, is to document the social norms and customs of those years long past. Key and foremost is that I want to capture our culture so that our children would have some semblance of a genuine type of culture to relate with in literary form.”
Ivor said that “De Copper Hole” is just the first in a series of other works to come. He noted that Volume Two is intended to be published in 2022. He claimed that he is having fun doing the writing, and he trusts that the readers will find fun in reading his work as well.
The Anguillian heartily congratulates Mr. Hodge for the production of “De Copper Hole”.
